How women over 40 in Russia are defying age with IVF success

Nizhny Novgorod, April 30. NewsRoom24.ru —

Motherhood later in life has long ceased to be a rarity for women in the Nizhny Novgorod region. Over the past two years alone, 2,226 children were born to local women over the age of 40. But behind these dry statistics often lie years of waiting, difficult diagnoses, and doubt. Margarita, who became a mother twice thanks to IVF, knows this path all too well.

She first turned to a reproductive specialist at 40. By then, she had grown accustomed to counting days, buying pregnancy tests in advance and hiding them in the bathroom, listening to every change in her body—only to see a single line again and pretend it didn't break her heart.

"The women's clinic told me my ovarian reserve was low. I thought it was a death sentence—that I'd missed my chance," Margarita recalls.

But the doctors saw more than just numbers in her test results—they saw a woman determined to become a mother.

According to Yelena Viktorovna Kaloshina, a reproductive specialist at the ECO-Sodeystviye Privolzhye clinic, pregnancy is still possible even with low anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels. The key is not to waste time, choose the right approach, obtain high-quality eggs, and make the most of the body's remaining potential.

Margarita admits she went into IVF with little faith—more out of stubbornness than hope.

"I didn't want to blame myself later for not trying. And when they told me I was pregnant, I didn't believe it at first," she shares.

Nine months later came the day she remembers in every detail: her husband waiting with flowers outside the maternity ward, a white envelope tied with a blue ribbon—and inside, her son, the one who made the entire journey worth it.

When her boy turned three, Margarita returned to the doctors with a new dream: another child.

Now she was 43, and her egg reserve had dwindled further. The doctors were honest—it might take more than one attempt.

They managed to retrieve six eggs. Once again, there was waiting, inner conflict—should she hope, or shield herself from disappointment? One embryo took hold, and that was enough.

"And then I found myself buying pink onesies and hair bows," Margarita smiles, hugging her daughter.

As reproductive specialist Yekaterina Andreevna Vesenko explains, the path to pregnancy after 40 is indeed more challenging. Egg reserves decline, fibroids, endometriosis, and fallopian tube blockages become more common, and sometimes male infertility factors come into play.

"As long as a woman wants to become a mother, there is always a chance. Age is just a challenge—one that precise diagnostics, medical expertise, and the belief that success is possible can overcome," Vesenko emphasizes.